Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) enable users to control machines and computers solely through sensors that detect various types of brain activity. In the past, this technology was restricted to research and specialized applications, but recently relatively cheap BCI devices have become available, expanding their potential application scope significantly.

In this paper, the authors introduce their free, open-source software platform, OpenViBE, as a new interface for designing, testing, and using BCIs. A comparison with existing platforms identifies important differences. One of them is the provision of a graphical interface for nonprogrammers, thus increasing the pool of developers and users considerably. Another is the scope of the toolkit: OpenViBE covers the entire functionality of a BCI application, from data acquisition to the way the user interacts with virtual or real environments.

The paper presents two examples of applications where users control aspects of a virtual environment via brain activities: a virtual reality handball game in which the user can move a virtual ball by real or imagined hand movements, and a Star Wars-inspired application that allows the user to control a virtual spaceship through real or imagined foot movements.

OpenViBE is a welcome addition to the existing BCI development tools, which are often research-oriented or proprietary. Its modular, reusable, and portable design, together with the inclusion of the main components for interacting with virtual environments, allows users of varied backgrounds to explore their “brain power” in very different ways.